Steve has asked me to do something re the racing of these now 60+ year old classics.
I will keep it to pre EH (63/4) models.
This is the one I worked on in the mid thru to late 60's. It ran mainly in Tasmania but we did go to Hume Weir in NSW in 1968 for an all Holden event.
Symmons Plains 1967
I will continue with the story as time goes on
Some pics are not mine but where known credit is given.
Last edited by Ellis; 06-05-2011 at 04:09 AM.
And give us lots of info on the FJ you race now too Ellis.
Another photo of the "Golden Holden".
I think the tall chap with the white coat or overalls is the late Bruce McLean and its possible thats his V8 car in the right of the photo in "Golden Holden"
We will start with a few racing engine bay shots of the Holden Grey engine starting life in the 48-215 series and remaining in production until 1963 with very few major changes.
3 x Amals
3 x 1.5" SU's
1.5 Webers
3 x Amals
2 x Strombergs
Last edited by Ellis; 06-05-2011 at 11:44 AM.
A few more....
3x Del Orto's
3 x 1.5" SU's
1.5 DD Del Orto's
1.5 Webers
3 x 1 1/2" SU's
Last edited by Ellis; 06-05-2011 at 11:47 AM.
I think this is Graeme Harvey's "Golden Holden".
Love the pics Roger, keep 'em coming.....
These are incredible images Ellis. The FJ must be the single most significant car in Australian motorsport history as far as growing the sport at grassroots level.
I was just about to ask whether any pre-EH races are held at historic events, but you beat me to it with post #13. That would have been an amazing sight.
You are in car #14j in post 14?
I'll do a story or 2 in time.
I had one almost done this am but the link died before it was posted and away it went into the Land of long white clouds I suppose.
Yes my car (Shared with my Son at alternative meetings) is #14
There are quite a few now well known drivers who started or furthered careers in one of the pre EH Holdens....
Heres a few that come to mind....
Geoghegans, Spencer Martin, Bo Seton, Bob Jane, Norm Beechey, Dick Johnson, Max Stahl, Bruce McPhee,
Des West, Jack Brabham, Norm Gown, Bruce Hindaugh, Dave Price, Gary Rogers, Dave Price, Brian Muir,
Ron Harrop, Graham Ritter,Harry Firth, Merv Waggott, Bob Holden, Bill Jane, Warren Weldon John Goss,
Warren Weldon, John Raeburn,...etc etc
Sandown Vic
Last edited by Ellis; 06-07-2011 at 02:49 AM.
Thanks Ellis for sharing those ,always had a soft spot for those old Humpys and love hearing about the mods they did to them,maybe I better start saving my pennies and come over to that Baskerville meeting ,catch up with some people who have been wanting me to visit them in Tassie for ages
Bob
You would be most welcome I am sure.
Its not a huge meeting by your NZ standards or our friends at Philip Is, Winton or Sandown
but its a well run 3 day event by the MG Car club.
We get around 120 entries with a few mainlanders usually making the somewhat expensive trip.
Ellis
Baskerville 2010 Historic
Last edited by Ellis; 06-05-2011 at 10:01 AM.
What if any is the history on the 100 Anglia Ellis ,did Robin Pare race one at one stage ? that Don Elliot owned or is my mind drifting off into the past
Your mind is still working well.Originally Posted by bob homewood
Elliot had one built up for Robin Pare to race to compete against all the Cooper S etc
It was Supercharged and altho a little fragile certainly could beat them.
The car in the pic is a replica of that car as the original is long gone. There is a
Cortina as well , a replica of a car he had for Edmondson.
Baskerville Historics 2010..Parade Laps
The GT500 on the left is driven by John Bowe with Harry Firth as passenger
The Anglia Replica is being driven by its owner
The Cortina 2dr on rhs is a replica of Edmondsons car and is being driven by him.
The cars formed part of an Elliot cars display
You may notice I still manged to squeeze 4 Humpies into the shot...lol
Last edited by Ellis; 06-05-2011 at 11:55 AM.
Engine internals...and other weaknesses...
As everyone knows they are prone to breaking crankshafts. Lots of theories exist as to what to do and not to do
and while you may think you are doing the right things they will break whenever they feel like it.
At the 2009 Baskerville Historics Holden Reunion meeting just to prove that nothing changes after 40-45 years of racing
out of around 20 Humpies ....2 blew headgaskets, 1 broke gearbox, 2 broke cranks and 1 rolled.....
Mine didnt fail then...it waited another 15 months till this year and my crank went at Baskerville. Its not too bad , it
lasted 4 1/2 years.
About all that is done to the standard crank is balancing, better rod bolts and main bolts are used along with main bearing cap strengtheners on centre mains. Billet steel cranks are now available but are around $4k so not cheap and not too many are in use.
Lightenned flywheels and larger harmonic balancers are used along with enlarged and baffled sumps. The heads are ported and planed and larger valves are fitted along with tubular pushrods and with a bore out to 3 3/16" most use hi top pistons but some still run flatop.
Camshaft grinds are free and most use a well known Cam grinder in Melbourne...Clives Cams...no substitute for 45 years or so experience. Aluminium or steel timing geras replace the old original fibre versions.
The gearbox remains standard or maybe fit an EH cluster and a few circlips get silver soldered. The ratios in the gearbox are free and some run close ratio boxes which shifts low up and moves 2nd closer to top. A higher ratio diff is usually then required for some circuits.
Differential ratios are free but the original housing must be retained. For Nb regs drum brakes must remain but finned drums are permitted. Wheels for Nb must remain at 15" but are allowed to be 6" in width. The original old hubs were prone to cracking so later model 13" hubs are permitted with adaptors to take them back to suit 15" stud pattern. LSD or lockers are permitted. Not many of the cars running comply to these Nb specs so are logbooked as Targa class and run disc brakes and 13" wheels so are not permitted in Nb. Quite a few run later red motors and 4 speed boxes but the few purists retain Nb specs which almost mirror the old Appendix J rules from 1960.
So you see nothing has changed since the heady days of the 60's... except for one really important improvement...Tyres.
A one piece crank replaces the 2 piece from a few weeks ago....
Last edited by Ellis; 06-05-2011 at 12:48 PM.
This is such a great thread Ellis, keep the posts coming! How often is it that pre-EH races are held at historic events? It must be an incredible site. And the noise must be amazing. The FJs are such an important piece of Aussie racing history, that these races are every bit as significant as an F5000 or Group C/A reunion. They're just one of the most charismatic race cars.
We dont have Holden only events again as yet. MG car club have said they will run Holden only for us in Regularity if we can get 12 starters. The Baskerville track was the last track in Australia to run a Holden only event in about 75 or maybe it was 72 ?.
The HQ series was also commenced in Tas and spread to the rest of the country and is still quite strong.
With the number of Humpies in sheds and being built we should be able to. Whether we can do it on a regular basis remains to be seen.
At the last meeting a month or so ago we had 24 cars running in Historic Regularity of which 3 were Humpies. 3 other Humpies ran in a race series as invited cars.
Some better known period Holden Grey engine mods.....
Some of these found their way into Speedboats and Sports / Racing Cars of the day....
Dunstan Rotary Valve
Waggott Twin Cam
Repco X Flow head
Fuel Injection
Supercharged
Last edited by Ellis; 06-07-2011 at 02:46 AM.
The broken Crank has been super glued back together and new engine was fired up today........
Ready for more fun again.
These pics are from nowhere in particular but just show a few of the old warhorses in action in various forms of motorsport....
Drags
Drag Display
Albury Wodonga area in NSW still run Historic Speedway...They are a bit gentler on the panels nowdays.
Hume Weir 1966 Norm Gown, Graham Ritter
Hume Weir Action
Last edited by Ellis; 06-09-2011 at 07:13 AM.
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